If the hard drive falls behind in putting away the data, you get dropped frames. If when recording
the hard drive can't feed the data fast enough, you get a file on the camcorder tape with problems like
dead spots. Data flows from one place to the other with a buffer in between. The buffer can't run dry
nor can it overflow.
Movie Maker can do it well if your hard drive is a faster one that is pretty well tuned up. If your
drive is a slower one... like a hard drive on a laptop like mine, or if your hard drive is highly fragmented
so it has to go all over the place to find pockets to store data or round it up when exporting, you could
run into file issues.
WinDV is one of those utilities that has a single purpose and does it well... it has a well-deserved
place in your software toolbox. I've had pretty good luck capturing and saving with Movie Maker, but
as time goes by I have more reasons to use WinDV for my routine transfers. The readme file with
WinDV says 'no dropped frames - memory buffering'.
I've been using WinDV all week as I worked on this newsletter... capturing some footage from this
past holiday weekend... and converting/exporting 4 DVDs of video files from my son's vacation (shot on
his DVD camcorder) to tapes on my mini-DV camcorder. There were no dropped frames or other issues, and
I was doing it all on my laptop.
This issue is a tutorial about using WinDV.
... before that, here are a few notes...
That release, combined with an email from a newsletter reader who was having some problems with PS3
in the area of saving project files and stories, prompted me to change the subject of next week's newsletter
to saving projects and stories in PS3.
Someone noticed that my custom profiles which simulate WMV-HD used 29.97 frames per second while the
sample Microsoft files for download were 24 fps. I checked the dual DVD/WMV-HD files and saw they also
were 24 fps... so the profiles were revised.
We're recording the second radio session tomorrow. I'll be introducing a 'tip of the session' to supplement
the Q&A session... to balance the negative tone that can come from too many questions about problems.
WinDV has one main working window, with two tabs... each similar in that you select where you want
the captured file to go, or select the source file to copy to a camcorder. WinDV automatically sees your
camcorder when it's connected via firewire and switched on in the VCR/VTR mode.
In the picture of the main window above, see that little unlabeled check box between the Config...
and Capture buttons? Checking it is the key to having WinDV control the camcorder, something I learned
this week as I used it a lot. You can get by with capturing without it checked, by starting and
stopping the camcorder. But recording to the camcorder is difficult if you don't check it. Check it and
leave it that way for easier computer-based control.
As simple as this utility is, it doesn't come with a help file and I didn't see any instructions on
its website. And without some basic instructions there are some points that can be confusing.... that
little optional check box is one of them.
Press the Config... button on the main window and go to this configuration window:
type... select a type-1 or 2 DV-AVI file. The type-1 file has the audio data wrapped up with the video,
both in a single stream of data. The type-2 is slightly larger in size because it has an extra
copy of the audio data, as a separate stream. The type-2 is accepted by all video apps, whereas the type-1
isn't... so I keep mine set to capture as type-2, just in case I want to use it in another app besides
Movie Maker.
By changing it to a threshold of 1 second and recapturing the same footage, it's now set to finish
the file and start a new one whenever there's a break in the timecode data of one second.
Here's the file list from the second capture session. The same footage is now in 9 separate files.
And again, there were no dropped frames as I continued to do the newsletter in Outlook Express, watch
the files being created by using Total Commander, take screen shots with IrfanView, use the Calculator
to figure out how many frames there are in an hour, and do some note-keeping in my database... all on
my laptop with a slower speed hard drive than my desktop computers.
Max AVI size (frames)... being in an NTSC environment, and using 62 minute tapes,
I have this setting at 115000 frames. That's 30 frames per second x 60 seconds per minute = 1,800 frames
per minute x 60 minutes per hour = 108,000 frames per hour. My setting is to stop after a full tape to
be sure it doesn't stop too soon.
Every N-th frame ... this is a great feature to get a sunset, an egg hatching, or
a flower opening... instead of capturing a full hour of video with a size of 13 GB and then speeding
it up or extracting selected frames for a speed-up effect... capture it at the rate you want the final
file. A setting of every 15th frame would mean a one hour video plays for a duration of 4 minutes (1/15th
of 60 minutes).
Here's a 17 second sample snippet of a
setting
sun shot in real time on the camcorder but captured by WinDV using a setting of every
15th frame. The only editing beyond that was a title, fading in and out, and some music.
The discontinuity setting is also followed if it's set to make separate files.
Filename formatting... the capturing I'm doing is using the default settings for
the file names. You can see from the list that the file names include the file name I gave it "TestCapture"
followed by the date and time that the footage was taken (looks like my camcorder is a day and some hours
off).
The dropdown list gives 6 choices for the date/hours/minutes/seconds formatting, but it doesn't let
you leave it blank.
Starting and Stopping the Capture
To start the capture process, setup the camcorder in VCR/VTR mode at the point you want to start the
capture, get WinDV setup, check the option box to have WinDV control the camcorder, and press the Capture
button of WinDV..
To stop the capture session, select the Cancel button of WinDV.
Recording
Be sure to have the checkbox between the Config and Record buttons checked so WinDV controls the camcorder...
it's vital for recording. If not checked, you will see the video playing on the camcorder but it won't
necessarily be recording.
Turn your camcorder on in VCR/VTR mode, select the file to be recorded to the camcorder, and press
the Record button of WinDV.... it'll open and show the first frame of the file but in a paused mode...
press Record again to start the recording.
When finished, use the Cancel button of WinDV. It'll stop the camcorder also.
Unlike the noting of the number of dropped frames when capturing, you'll need to check the recorded
file. Probably the easiest way to monitor the quality of the transfer is to listen as the recording is
being done... your ears do a good job of sensing a missed beat.
The readme file with the app says 'easy AVI joining - record multiple files joined to the DV device
just using wildcards'. I didn't try it, but that means you can place a number of AVI files in a folder,
name them video1, video2, video3, etc., browse to the folder and enter video*.avi in the source file
field.... the asterisk is a wild card, so WinDV would copy all of those that start with the name 'video'.
Conclusions and Closing
As usual, WinDV performed well. It makes a great companion tool to Movie Maker. Many people expect
a single software package to do all parts of a process equally well and at the highest quality... I prefer
using different apps for each of the different steps of a process. If WinDV does the copying better than
Movie Maker, I don't take it as a negative about Movie Maker... but it's a positive for WinDV.
Remember that capturing/importing and saving/exporting a video is actually a 2-step process if you
do it with Movie Maker. Capturing is first done to a DV-AVI file, followed by an importing process. Exporting
is first saved to a temporary DV-AVI file which is then copied to the camcorder.
I'll send Petr Mourek a copy of this newsletter with a thank you note.
I look forward to comments and discussion about this and other newsletters on the forums at:
Windows
Movie Makers.net
Have a great weekend...
PapaJohn
Movie Maker 2 and Photo Story 3 -
www.papajohn.org
Photo Story 2 - www.photostory.papajohn.org
Products and Services
I'm involved in many things that support users of Movie Maker and Photo Story, and adding more regularly.
Here's a list of what's available. Some are free and others reasonably priced.
Radio and Podcasting
TheDVShow is the only weekly Podcast
having more useful information about desktop video editing and production than anywhere else on the Web.
Digital video editing, nonlinear editing, streaming media, software releases, tutorials, business tips,
technical help, download of the day and news on the latest products to make everything easier. It's where
professional and consumer desktop video users go to stay on the cutting edge.
Call the phone mail machine to get your technical question answered on the air! call (206)-203-3516
The radio broadcast is from Boston, and the website has the downloadable podcast files. The June 19th
podcast included the first of 'semi-monthly' segments about Movie Maker 2.
Books
and Magazines
Movie Maker 2 - Do Amazing Things (with its online companion on
www.papajohn.org)
Movie Maker 2 - Zero to Hero - with support on the
Friends of Ed forum
MaximumPC's winter 2005 quarterly special... had a 7 page tutorial 'Make a Killer Home Movie with
Maker 2'. The special edition of the video made for it is now
on my
website as a file download.
Packt
Publishing of Birmingham, U.K. issued the first book about VirtualDub. The last word I got on it was
this
Yahoo
press release, along with a note that my copy was going in the mail.
My
contribution was the introductory chapter... I'm happy to be part of any effort that helps join the worlds
of Movie Maker and open source software.
Websites
Movie Maker 2 and Photo Story 3 - www.papajohn.org
- the site's 3 goals are: an online companion to the Do Amazing Things book, a detailed tutorial for
PhotoStory 3, and helping you solve Movie Maker 2 problems.
PhotoStory 2 - www.photostory.papajohn.org
- a detailed tutorial about using it. It's not a problem-solving site.
Online Support - Forums and Newsgroups
I'm a regular on many online forums and newsgroups, the key ones being:
Forums are open to all for viewing, but require registration of those who want to post. Moderators
actively participate to ensure the forum discussions move forward and stay on track.
Movie Maker and Photo Story forums at W
indows Movie Makers
Movie Maker 2 forum at
SimplyDV.com
Newsgroups are wide open for all to view and post... moderation is collective by the participants.
Windows XP Movie Maker newsgroup -
microsoft.public.windowsxp.moviemaker
Photo Story 2 newsgroup -
microsoft.public.plus
Photo Story 3 newsgroup -
microsoft.public.windowsxp.photos
Weekly Newsletters
Movie Maker 2/Photo Story newsletter. The annual subscription is $20 and the link to subscribe is
on the main page of my Movie Maker website at:
www.papajohn.org
Topics for upcoming newsletters (always subject to change):
#62 - July 16 - Photo Story 3 - Saving Projects and Stories
#63 - July 23 - Utility Review - Audacity
#64 - July 30 - open
Older newsletters (more than 6 issues ago) are posted by Rob Morris to an
Archive Site at his
Windows Movie Makers website. Links from website pages to specific newsletters make it easier for the
website viewer to see the content of both while browsing a topic.
Drop an email to suggest a newsletter topic...
Software
Add-On Transitions and Effects
Transition
Maker 2 (TM2) is a utility for the ultimate in making your own personal and custom transitions
for Movie Maker 2. It's a joint product from Patrick Leabo, the programmer, and myself. Version
2 was released a week ago and I'm still working on updating the online tutorial.
I
routinely beta test the Pixelan packages
and think very highly of their people and products.
ProDAD's Adorage package for Movie Maker 2 provides an additional source of professionally developed
transitions and effects.
Personal Database
Managing
your personal information is more of a challenge as hard drives get bigger and the internet more robust.
My personal database has been an ongoing project over many years, and is now available to others.
Info is on the Managing > Personal Database page of my site, and in the database package itself.
It's available free to regular newsletter subscribers... send an email request.
To others it's $10. To order, use the button on the top of the Managing > Personal Database page.
Online Gallery
An online gallery that fully aligns with the main priority of the website is the
'PapaJohn Expert Zone' at neptune.
Check it at Neptune and the Distributing
> Neptune page of the website, where there's a developing tutorial about how to use the service.
Training
in conjunction with the Portage, Michigan library, I offer two free training sessions about Movie
Maker, an intro session and a workshop. The upcoming scheduled sessions are:
Monday - July 18 - 6-7:30 - Workshop
Monday - August 15 - 6-7:30
Monday - September 18 - 6-7:30
Other fee-based services
If
you can't save a movie because your project has become too complex, e-mail a copy and I'll divide it
into manageable sub-projects, and provide detailed instructions about how to render the parts and assemble
them into your final movie. $49.95 - for details, see the sidebar on the Problem Solving > Can't Save
a Movie page of www.papajohn.org
Movie Maker 2/Photo Story training and support services start at $50 per hour - send an email -
PapaJohn@CharterMi.net
and I'll help you determine your needs, and work with you to plan and implement them.
Wedding combo website/video packages - starting at $2,500 + travel expenses. See
Jill-MarkWedding or the bottom
branch of the Movie Maker 2 website for a sample of what you can expect for the online portion of the
package.
Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other
countries.
About John 'PapaJohn' Buechler from Microsoft.com
 |
John "PapaJohn" Buechler, of Kalamazoo, Mich., goes by PapaJohn online.
An avid user of Movie Maker since its first release, and a regular supporter
of the community of Movie Maker users, John received a 2003 MVP award
from Microsoft for that support. In March 2003, he started a comprehensive
website about Movie Maker 2 at
www.PapaJohn.org.
He maintains the website, writes books and articles, teaches, and provides
support services - all for the community of Movie Maker 2 users. An engineer
by formal education, John is a computer database and multimedia expert
by business and personal experience. He co-authored the first book about
Movie Maker 2 and is actively working on a second one. You can find his
advice in the
Windows XP Movie Maker newsgroup and in the Windows
Movie Makers Forums. |
 This
newsletter is republished with permission of John "PapaJohn" Buechler.
Please note that this is an archive of newsletters and some information
may become outdated. PapaJohn, and the webmaster of this site, provides this
information "AS IS" with no warranties.
Visit - PapaJohn's Movie Maker 2 and Photo
Story 2 Newsletter Index
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